Critique my 1440p build

[drsmooth]

Hello Overclockers! Having just joined I would like to say hi before I ask about my build.

 

I will be using this build for primarily gaming, movie watching, and web browsing. Please let me know if I can save some money without sacrificing quality or performance. Hoping this build will be able to slay Witcher 3 and Battlefield 4 on max settings. I put the 850w power supply in because I plan on doing sli when this build starts to wane on performance. Plan on overclocking the CPU to around 4.0-4.2, nothing serious. Probably will leave the GPU as is. Just going to use my Sidewinder X6 keyboard and X5 mouse since I am so used to them and like them. Thank you.

 

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($223.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($73.98 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($164.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: MSI GTX N780 TF 3GD5/OC 3GB Video Card  ($659.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply  ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer  ($40.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)  ($87.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Dell U2713HM 60Hz 27.0" Monitor  ($596.96 @ Amazon)
Total: $2312.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-22 11:10 EDT-0400)

Edited September 22, 2013 by drsmooth

[Locutus]

That's a pretty decent setup, though if you're going to upgrade in the future it might be more in your best interest to skip the SLI route and just sell your card to purchase a new one. Graphics cards (especially nVidia) tend to hold value, and if you decide to keep it you can always use it for dedicated Folding@Home or PhysX.

 

If you did decide to forego the SLI route in the future you wouldn't need such a beefy PSU, not to mention that slightly-overpriced motherboard. You could probably trim a good $100 out of your build, if not more.

[drsmooth]

That's a pretty decent setup, though if you're going to upgrade in the future it might be more in your best interest to skip the SLI route and just sell your card to purchase a new one. Graphics cards (especially nVidia) tend to hold value, and if you decide to keep it you can always use it for dedicated Folding@Home or PhysX.

 

If you did decide to forego the SLI route in the future you wouldn't need such a beefy PSU, not to mention that slightly-overpriced motherboard. You could probably trim a good $100 out of your build, if not more.

Thanks for the response! I honestly didn't even consider selling down the road, although that may be the best option with Maxwell and even the new AMD's coming. Do you think a 650W would be able to deal with any future cards, or should I go a little higher? As far as the mobo, I am a little hesitant to trim from there as the Hero is definitely high quality. I also looked at cheaper boards like the MSI G45/GD65, Asus Pro, and ASRock Extreme4/6 but I couldn't decide one over the other lol. Thanks again.

[VaporX]

The odds are that future cards will use less power not more, as this is the trend we are seeing. You might also want to save a few bucks on the motherboards, unless you plan to PUSH the overclock there is no real reason to spend that much on a motherboard. The Z87X-UD3H is a solid board and comes in about $50 under the Asus. You will lose next to nothing except the extra cost. I would also look at pricing on DDR3 1600, the extra speed on the RAM will make zero difference in your computing experience.

 

All that with dropping down to a nice quality 650 Watt PSU would make the build a lot ore cost efficient.

 

On the Arc Midi, the cooling solution I found that worked best for me, fan setup, was dual front fans and put the bottom fan in as an intake with only the rear exhaust. This gives great positive air flow and has no trouble cooling all but the most heavily overclocked and multicarded systems. This setup will work well with just the Fractal Fans, just pull the 140 from the top and put it in the front and then buy one more Fractal 140 for the bottom and you are well cooled and very quiet. Now I also removed the 3.5" bays for max air flow and then got creative with my HD mounting.

 

This is a fun case to build in...

[Waco]

My only real suggestions fall in line with the others: the mobo could easily be cut down and you could go with an Ebay Korean 27" monitor for ~$300 shipped w/ a pixel perfect guarantee.

[Locutus]

My only real suggestions fall in line with the others: the mobo could easily be cut down and you could go with an Ebay Korean 27" monitor for ~$300 shipped w/ a pixel perfect guarantee.

Lol, you would suggest a Korean monitor. 

[Waco]

Of course I would - I love mine.

[drsmooth]

My only real suggestions fall in line with the others: the mobo could easily be cut down and you could go with an Ebay Korean 27" monitor for ~$300 shipped w/ a pixel perfect guarantee.

 

Is there a particular brand I should look for?

[Waco]

Mine is an X-Star but there are a few that are pretty similar.

[drsmooth]

Mine is an X-Star but there are a few that are pretty similar.

Cool thanks. Think I will likely get an X star or QNIX. They seem awesomely priced on amazon.

[Waco]

The ones on Amazon don't have a pixel perfect warranty - so you're more likely to get dead pixels and/or backlight bleeding. I paid just over $300 for mine on Ebay (where they come from originally).

[drsmooth]

The ones on Amazon don't have a pixel perfect warranty - so you're more likely to get dead pixels and/or backlight bleeding. I paid just over $300 for mine on Ebay (where they come from originally).

I'll have to check it out. On a different note I've been looking at other GPUs to drive a 1440p monitor and I was wondering what peoples opinion on crossfire is after 13.10 beta? Seems like for the price of a 780, I could get a 7970 and 7950 and crossfire them.